SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A voting rights demonstrator carries an anti-Koch sign at a rally in New York City. (Photo: Michael Fleshman/Flickr/cc)
Another Backfire for Koch Brothers as Survey Shows Americans Actually Want Free College, $15 Minimum Wage, and Medicare for All
The results dealt an embarrassing blow to the right-wing agenda pushed by the billionaires' army of dark money groups
Aug 09, 2018
Delivering yet another blow to the billionaire Koch Brothers' right-wing agenda, a survey conducted by In Pursuit Of, the pair's public relations firm, found that the majority of Americans support policies such as free public college, a $15 hourly minimum wage, and government-run healthcare--policies which the brothers often fight against using their army of dark money groups.
Slamming a RealClearPolitics summary published late last month--"which spun the results as favorable to the Koch network"--The Intercept on Thursday noted how the survey (pdf) actually revealed that "where the Koch brothers see government tyranny, most Americans see common-sense solutions to basic problems."
As the following graph outlines, the majority of people surveyed said they believe "healthcare reform that puts doctors and patients in charge," ending harsh sentences for nonviolent crimes, "government-paid college tuition," a $15 an hour minimum wage, stricter rules for Wall Street, and "increasing government assistance for childcare" are "very effective" or "somewhat effective" solutions to basic problems faced by millions of Americans.
| "Ranked by Very Effective Solution" | Very Effective Solution | Somewhat Effective Solution | Not a Solution at All | Don't Know |
| Enforcing equal rights for all | 53% | 31% | 10% | 7% |
| Healthcare reform that puts doctors and patients in charge | 50% | 33% | 8% | 10% |
| Ending cronyism that leads to corporate welfare | 37% | 35% | 10% | 18% |
| Ending harsh sentences for non-violent, petty crimes | 37% | 40% | 15% | 8% |
| Government-paid college tuition | 35% | 31% | 26% | 8% |
| A $15 minimum wage | 35% | 30% | 28% | 6% |
| More regulation of Wall Street | 33% | 36% | 15% | 15% |
| Increasing government assistance for childcare | 30% | 39% | 21% | 9% |
| A government-run healthcare system | 25% | 30% | 33% | 12% |
Meanwhile, as The Intercept reports, Koch-backed groups and individuals have attacked free college as a "pie-in-the-sky" and terrible idea." They also "have campaigned against increases to city, state, and federal minimum wage laws, including lobbying Congress." Perhaps the most notable gap between the brothers' and the majority of Americans' beliefs is healthcare.
A full 92 percent of those polled expressed concerns about rising costs of healthcare, and 55 percent said a government-run healthcare system would be a very or somewhat effective solution, The Intercept points out before detailing the Koch network's efforts to bolster the nation's for-profit system:
The idea of government run health care would be completely intolerable to the Koch network. Koch-backed groups have campaigned against reforms, like the Affordable Care Act, that would place even limited controls on the private market and which provide government subsidies to enable the poorest to purchase insurance. The American Legislative Exchange Council, a state-level group that pushes model legislation, promoted a bill that pushed the Affordable Care Act into the courts. Generation Opportunity, the Koch student group, pushed students to not buy insurance, through expensive TV ads and campus events. Concerned Veterans for America, another Koch group, has campaigned to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs through vouchers.
The Intercept's report on the survey follows a Koch-funded analysis targeting Medicare for All, which--in another embarrassing moment for the brothers--found that instituting such a healthcare system in the United States would not only cover all Americans but also save $2 trillion over ten years.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Delivering yet another blow to the billionaire Koch Brothers' right-wing agenda, a survey conducted by In Pursuit Of, the pair's public relations firm, found that the majority of Americans support policies such as free public college, a $15 hourly minimum wage, and government-run healthcare--policies which the brothers often fight against using their army of dark money groups.
Slamming a RealClearPolitics summary published late last month--"which spun the results as favorable to the Koch network"--The Intercept on Thursday noted how the survey (pdf) actually revealed that "where the Koch brothers see government tyranny, most Americans see common-sense solutions to basic problems."
As the following graph outlines, the majority of people surveyed said they believe "healthcare reform that puts doctors and patients in charge," ending harsh sentences for nonviolent crimes, "government-paid college tuition," a $15 an hour minimum wage, stricter rules for Wall Street, and "increasing government assistance for childcare" are "very effective" or "somewhat effective" solutions to basic problems faced by millions of Americans.
| "Ranked by Very Effective Solution" | Very Effective Solution | Somewhat Effective Solution | Not a Solution at All | Don't Know |
| Enforcing equal rights for all | 53% | 31% | 10% | 7% |
| Healthcare reform that puts doctors and patients in charge | 50% | 33% | 8% | 10% |
| Ending cronyism that leads to corporate welfare | 37% | 35% | 10% | 18% |
| Ending harsh sentences for non-violent, petty crimes | 37% | 40% | 15% | 8% |
| Government-paid college tuition | 35% | 31% | 26% | 8% |
| A $15 minimum wage | 35% | 30% | 28% | 6% |
| More regulation of Wall Street | 33% | 36% | 15% | 15% |
| Increasing government assistance for childcare | 30% | 39% | 21% | 9% |
| A government-run healthcare system | 25% | 30% | 33% | 12% |
Meanwhile, as The Intercept reports, Koch-backed groups and individuals have attacked free college as a "pie-in-the-sky" and terrible idea." They also "have campaigned against increases to city, state, and federal minimum wage laws, including lobbying Congress." Perhaps the most notable gap between the brothers' and the majority of Americans' beliefs is healthcare.
A full 92 percent of those polled expressed concerns about rising costs of healthcare, and 55 percent said a government-run healthcare system would be a very or somewhat effective solution, The Intercept points out before detailing the Koch network's efforts to bolster the nation's for-profit system:
The idea of government run health care would be completely intolerable to the Koch network. Koch-backed groups have campaigned against reforms, like the Affordable Care Act, that would place even limited controls on the private market and which provide government subsidies to enable the poorest to purchase insurance. The American Legislative Exchange Council, a state-level group that pushes model legislation, promoted a bill that pushed the Affordable Care Act into the courts. Generation Opportunity, the Koch student group, pushed students to not buy insurance, through expensive TV ads and campus events. Concerned Veterans for America, another Koch group, has campaigned to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs through vouchers.
The Intercept's report on the survey follows a Koch-funded analysis targeting Medicare for All, which--in another embarrassing moment for the brothers--found that instituting such a healthcare system in the United States would not only cover all Americans but also save $2 trillion over ten years.
Delivering yet another blow to the billionaire Koch Brothers' right-wing agenda, a survey conducted by In Pursuit Of, the pair's public relations firm, found that the majority of Americans support policies such as free public college, a $15 hourly minimum wage, and government-run healthcare--policies which the brothers often fight against using their army of dark money groups.
Slamming a RealClearPolitics summary published late last month--"which spun the results as favorable to the Koch network"--The Intercept on Thursday noted how the survey (pdf) actually revealed that "where the Koch brothers see government tyranny, most Americans see common-sense solutions to basic problems."
As the following graph outlines, the majority of people surveyed said they believe "healthcare reform that puts doctors and patients in charge," ending harsh sentences for nonviolent crimes, "government-paid college tuition," a $15 an hour minimum wage, stricter rules for Wall Street, and "increasing government assistance for childcare" are "very effective" or "somewhat effective" solutions to basic problems faced by millions of Americans.
| "Ranked by Very Effective Solution" | Very Effective Solution | Somewhat Effective Solution | Not a Solution at All | Don't Know |
| Enforcing equal rights for all | 53% | 31% | 10% | 7% |
| Healthcare reform that puts doctors and patients in charge | 50% | 33% | 8% | 10% |
| Ending cronyism that leads to corporate welfare | 37% | 35% | 10% | 18% |
| Ending harsh sentences for non-violent, petty crimes | 37% | 40% | 15% | 8% |
| Government-paid college tuition | 35% | 31% | 26% | 8% |
| A $15 minimum wage | 35% | 30% | 28% | 6% |
| More regulation of Wall Street | 33% | 36% | 15% | 15% |
| Increasing government assistance for childcare | 30% | 39% | 21% | 9% |
| A government-run healthcare system | 25% | 30% | 33% | 12% |
Meanwhile, as The Intercept reports, Koch-backed groups and individuals have attacked free college as a "pie-in-the-sky" and terrible idea." They also "have campaigned against increases to city, state, and federal minimum wage laws, including lobbying Congress." Perhaps the most notable gap between the brothers' and the majority of Americans' beliefs is healthcare.
A full 92 percent of those polled expressed concerns about rising costs of healthcare, and 55 percent said a government-run healthcare system would be a very or somewhat effective solution, The Intercept points out before detailing the Koch network's efforts to bolster the nation's for-profit system:
The idea of government run health care would be completely intolerable to the Koch network. Koch-backed groups have campaigned against reforms, like the Affordable Care Act, that would place even limited controls on the private market and which provide government subsidies to enable the poorest to purchase insurance. The American Legislative Exchange Council, a state-level group that pushes model legislation, promoted a bill that pushed the Affordable Care Act into the courts. Generation Opportunity, the Koch student group, pushed students to not buy insurance, through expensive TV ads and campus events. Concerned Veterans for America, another Koch group, has campaigned to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs through vouchers.
The Intercept's report on the survey follows a Koch-funded analysis targeting Medicare for All, which--in another embarrassing moment for the brothers--found that instituting such a healthcare system in the United States would not only cover all Americans but also save $2 trillion over ten years.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.